Combustion temperatures in automobile engines can exceed 5000.degree. F. About one-third of this heat energy generated by an engine is dissipated by a properly functioning cooling system. If this excess heat is not continuously removed, the engine could sustain costly damage or even burn out.
Because the cooling system does a critical job in keeping the engine at an efficient operating temperature, it is important to properly maintain the system. In its normal job of cooling the engine, however, the cooling system is exposed to corrosion and the accumulation of rust, scale, grease and oil, all of which inhibit the system from operating at peak efficiency. Consequently, a suitable maintenance program should provide for the regular removal of any built-up grease, grime or rust in the system. The present invention relates to a novel composition for removing corrosion, grease and grime in an automotive cooling system.
Compositions that remove corrosion, grease and grime from metal surfaces in general are known. A representative composition is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,242,093, issued Mar. 22, 1966 to Compton. As pointed out by Compton, most corroded metals that are to be cleaned usually have layers of rust, scale and/or soil composed of oil, grease and dirt on their surfaces. Most known rust removing cleaners, however, cannot be used without precleaning the metal surface to remove the bulk of the undesirable materials prior to removing the rust or corrosion. Furthermore, these precleaning techniques are often complicated, time consuming and quite often require the use of highly toxic chemicals which would not be suitable for domestic or household use.
Consequently, there exists a need for a one-step cleaner capable of simultaneously removing rust, grease and grime, which is also efficient, effective and non-toxic. The present invention meets those needs as they relate to the formulation for an automotive cooling system cleaner.